Looking down at my size 12 feet, I keep thinking to myself that those 178s I have on are awfully short. I know that the current thinking is to go short, but I wonder if, at 6'2"/230 lbs., 178s are too short for me.

At 5'11" and 220 lbs, I've got everything from 165 SL skis to 186 powder skis. Although it depends what type of ski your 178s are, they sound like a regularly sized carving-oriented ski. Of course, if they're a powder ski, they're too short, and if they're an SL ski, they're too long.

I weigh about 165 lbs. At my weight I can see no reason to go any less than 165 cm, which is a great length for slalom turns and bumps. I also think that 170 is a good length for me for an "eastern ski", and 190 cm should be long enough for anything and any condition not resembling a (Chinese?) DH race.

161 Race stock slalom
170 High performance carver
164 iM88 - this is the only one I'm disapointed in (still a great ski mind you). Got them because the 175's were unavailable and didn't want to wait for this season. Generally it's pretty good, and probably increases the usefulness in trees/bumps, but definitely have to be well centered at speed and in choppy stuff you feel the lack of length for sure.

5'10" 225lbs
Homeless, (live in a van by the river)
Bad teeth
No trophy wife, but several restraining orders
My hobbies include going through Phil's garbage on trash day (someday those Metrons will be in there)

160 Salomon Scream Limited, bindings mounted a little forward to use in trees.

You can tell where posters come from just by looking at their quivers/lengths. If you're over 185cm, you ski in the West (or you're a former linebacker or something). At resorts in the Alps, ski lengths tend to run short. I'm 175cm and 78 kilos (refuse to convert to pounds, don't want to know) and ski nothing taller than me. My shortest ski is a 155 slalom cut (too short to be sanctioned for competition; a disappointed racer sold them to me cheap), then we move up to 170 and 172 for midfats, 175 for the Pocket Rockets. I'm a short turn guy, though...

I got tell you I cringe every time I look down, especially at the Nordis as they're wider and wider makes them look shorter. I would have gone 177cm if I skied a big mountain or out west but I haven't been lacking for grip at 170cm.

5'11"
175-190 depending on how much ice cream i've been gorging
solid hacker (will pick my way down just about anything, but may lack grace and style on some of it)

my planks range from 175, 177, 180, 186 and will probably add a 181, 185, and maybe 188 to the mix, depending on whether or not I get my gear jones in check.

as stated multiple times above, it really depends on the ski. the example I always use is that I tried the 175 and 186 M:EX. the difference between the two sizes was insane. the 175 was nimble, quick, and had decent float performance as an AM ski. The 185, at least for me, was clunky and cumbersome, much harder to move around and a lot less frisky.

my 177 Karmas and Mantras feel short if I'm just blazing down groomers, but they feel just right in tight spots and chutes and moguls (i.e. I'd love a back-up pair of each in the next size up). My 180's feel a little long, but then the ski is stiff and somewhat burly compared to the rest of my quiver. the 186's look short, but then that could be the effect of the 125 waist in comparison to the length.

itching to try something in a +180 length to see if they are in fact "too long".

at any rate, if you're having length issues, why not demo a few pairs of skis in different lengths this season? i've pretty much determined that my "comfort" zone is between 175 and 180 depending on the ski. though over the summer and after first turns this season, I'm re-thinking length and will demo a few different skis this season in longer lengths to suss things out.